Traditional Service
Shabbat services at Chabad are well known for their special blend of joy, warmth and tradition. Many sections of the prayers are sung aloud. The prayer books are Hebrew/English, and select prayers are recited in English. All announcements, speeches and sermons are in English, pages are announced regularly, and everyone is made to feel welcome and comfortable.
Chabad of Huntington Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations are faithful to the beauty and authenticity of Jewish Tradition. We encourage that the Bat Mitzvah take place near the girl's 12th birthday, while the Bar Mitzvah is near the boy's 13th birthday. This would adhere to Torah's view that a girl's maturity is one year prior to that of a boy.
While both the Bar and Bat Mitzvah are treated with equal attention, the two ceremonies are not identical. The Bar Mitzvah boy will read a section of the Torah and the Haftorah. The Bat Mitzvah girl will lead the Congregation with a recital (in both Hebrew & English) of Aishet Chayil (A Woman of Valor), a selection from Tehilim (Psalms), or the 13 Principles of Faith.
After the Torah reading, the Bat or Bar Mitzvah will deliver her or his speech. It is at this time that the Bat Mitzvah girl, in addition to her speech, recites the Aishet Chayil, Psalms or the 13 Principles of Faith. The speech is followed by a presentation to the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl and a talk from the Rabbi.